


The Games We Play

by darklight1221



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 19:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6767092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darklight1221/pseuds/darklight1221
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape has grown used to being alone, he almost takes comfort in his misery. That was until his newest student Kat appears. She is a witch that never got an acceptance letter. Now at 21 she is living in the castle being tutored by Snape. Both of them have to deal with the past and their own stubborn personalities to accept that together they are better than by themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Severus scowled at the head mistress his lips thinning out into a look of pure annoyance. He arched a sculpted eyebrow in sardonic incredulity. He tapped his stained fingertips on the porcelain cup he was holding, remaining stiff in posture. Minerva tried to stifle her smile behind a long sip of her tea, her eyes sparkling with silent laughter, he wondered vaguely if twinkling eyes was a requirement for the position she overtook. The look often reminded him of Albus before the war. 

“So I presume, you have heard what Trelawny has been saying?” The former death eater spoke coolly, his tone still withheld, masking the outrage he felt towards the rumors that had been spreading between the teachers. It was common for the divinations teacher to have “visions” that had just as much accuracy as her predictions of demise. Which was what made it even more taxing that this particular prediction had the entire staff believing it. Long-bottom had seen her go into an episode, that he said it seemed pretty believable. Long-bottom, of course he could blame that cowardly git of a gryffindor for the entire school knowing. 

Trelawny had predicted that a women would be entering his life before the end of the school year, and within a year he would be married. She said the female would be unaware of the wizarding world, and he would need to be responsible for tutoring her. He huffed at the prediction, and promised himself that one day he would hex the old witch for using him as her new focus on fake prophecies. 

Severus rubbed at the scars he had at the base of his neck, a ghost of pain from the bite returning in his moment of stress. 

“Do you believe it?” She asked leaning into the chair, her head tilting to the side. 

“No.” He scoffed. “If she was always right Harry Potter would have died a grand total of twenty times in his school year here.” He said tapping a little bit harder on the delicate cup, his patience was starting to waver. The only reason why the rumor had spread like wildfire was because of the scandalous possibility that a person would be able to stomach loving the reserved professeur. Personally it did not perk his interest. Lilly would be his only love in this lifetime, he was convinced he was past needing a partner. 

McGonagall elicited a joyous laugh, her usual stern composer breaking in unfeigned amusement that had the raven haired male biting back a sound of protest. “I’ve found her, Severus.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kat sat in her small ranch style home, triumphantly tearing apart the last of the boxes in her living room. She leaned back into her couch happily admiring that she was finally unpacked. Of course there was not much she brought, since moving from America to England was quite a difficult task, but hey she was done! Hello pubs and sexy accents. She got up from the couch, reveling in the silence. It was usually loud living where she did. Which she should have expected, it was a bunch of Americans living in an off campus home for school, it was basically a frat house. Tonight though her roommates had left to go out for a late night escapade, and she stayed home so she could settle in. She promised them she would come out when she was done, she regretted that promise. Kat wasn’t a fan of belligerent girls making asses out of themselves. 

The petite female stopped in front of the hallway mirror and stared at her reflection, her lips pulling down into a small frown. She watched the amber hues that gazed back. She looked worn out, she was, and some of it had little to do with moving. She had worked hard for this opportunity, and still she felt as if she didn’t belong here either. She ran a hand through her dirty blond locks, chewing at her permanently pouted lips. She self consciously ran a hand over her thighs, noting the hour glass curves that she possessed. Maybe it was a confidence issue. Therapists constantly offered that idea up, but she didn’t think that she felt so lowly of herself that she couldn’t feel as if she could fit in. People liked her enough. 

She shook her head pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she fixed the black sweater she wore over dark tights, before looking down at shoes that she could only describe as black shitkickers. She looked like a dark angel, and pulled it off well. Saluting her reflection she grabbed her purse to walk to the pub down the street. 

Kat had always found bars relaxing. There was something poetic about drinking, surrounded by music and a sea of people. She liked the feeling of getting lost in a crowd. She hummed swaying in her seat underneath the dim lights. Enjoying the heavy taste of beer that was so different from American drinks. 

The girl set her drink down, her body tingling, she could almost feel eyes on the back of her head. Slowly she turned in her seat scanning the crowded area. Her hues danced over each person until she met a blackened stare. Those eyes stared back at her with a cool intensity that had her repressing a shiver. She didn’t drop her gaze, instead she took her time to observe him, her heart beat picking up. The man that watched her was by no means handsome. He seemed tall and lanky in the booth he was seated in. His hair fell in greasy raven tresses to his shoulders framing a narrow face that sported a crooked long nose. His lips were twisted into a scowl that looked like it had a permanent position on his face. She couldn’t call him ugly, no, he had features that would often lead to that label, but on a second glance they all together turned him into something that demanded your attention. He was not hideous, nor was he handsome. 

Kat blinked once she realised that she had been staring for a rude amount of time. She let a small smile twist onto her lips, which caused her watcher to scowl deeper. A women that sat across from him seemed to take notice, and turned to see his line of vision. She offered Kat a friendly smile, her lips twitching in suppressed laughter. 

Kat turned around, lifting a hand up to flag down her bar keep. It was time to go home, Mr. Happy looked like he was feeling murderous, and she could still feel his eyes on her. His stare was burning its way through her clothes and scorching her skin. She paid her tab reaching into her pocket to leave a few dollars for a tip. When she got up he was still looking at her, so the only appropriate action was to of course to wave, ignoring the pulse point rising in her throat. 

When she was close to the door a gentle hand was pressed to her shoulder, “Miss Taylor.” She turned to come face to face with the woman that sat across from her unhappy stalker. “May I have a word outside?” 

Kat stilled unaware of how the female knew her name. She wondered if she was from the college she would be attending, by looking at the green odd robes she wore,it told her that, that was most likely not the case. “Yeah, sure.” She spoke up leading the woman out to where the smokers were. The area was empty, the alleyway silent, and smelling faintly of stale beer and tobacco. 

She was not surprised when the dark haired man followed behind quietly. Kat reached into her pocket to pull out a pack. She grabbed a cigarette out and propped it between her lips, lighting it. She took a moment to appreciate the feel of corrupted smoke tainting her lungs, before exhaling. She didn’t miss the look of disgust that crossed over the scowled face. 

“I’m Minerva McGonagall. This is my colleague Severus.” She offered a little hesitantly, a stern look crossed over her face, as if she was battling with if she wanted to tell her to put out the cigarette. “We thought we would finally give you this.” She said laughing quietly her lips quirking up. “Now that your father isn’t around anymore to throw them out.” 

Kat took the envelope, her eyebrows arching up at the mentioning of her dad. She opened it up and frowned at the words. 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall 

Dear Kathleen Taylor,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of equipment and books.

Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall 

She almost laughed handing back the piece of paper, her eyes narrowing. “That’s really funny.” Kat said lifting the cigarette up so she could take another drag. “But really who are you guys?” 

“Minerva, may I perhaps use another method?” The deep drawl, almost made the younger female jump. His voice was like gravel wrapped up in satin. She shivered involuntarily, his eyes didn’t miss the movement, he lifted up an eyebrow mockingly. 

Kat resisted the urge to childishly stick her tongue out at him. The older woman nodded, taking a step back. “I’ll see you back at the castle.” She said before looking around. 

Without another word the dark haired man wrapped powerful fingers around her forearm. She yelped raising her hand to swing, her body kicking into fight mode. Before she could strike him they dissolved in a cloud of smoke. She could feel her body breaking down into pieces before reforming in the backyard of her home. The feeling had her bending over fighting the bile that rose itself up the back of her throat. “Fuck.” She hissed willing herself to hold down the lunch she had that day. 

When she looked up she met the dark stare that never wavered from her, he looked like a fallen angel towering above her in dark robes that wrapped around his slender, powerful frame. “Start packing.” He spoke in a cold voice, that forced her adrenaline into overdrive.


	2. Chapter 2

Kat lost track of how long she stayed kneeling on the ground, her breathing was labored leaving her lungs in greedy exhales before she was fighting to get enough air in. She couldn’t think past the pounding in her chest. Her veins were ice, causing each limb to shake. She didn’t look away from the onyx stare that was fixed on her. Her mind told her to run, to flee from whatever the man in front of her was. Despite every warning bell in her mind being set off, she remained where she was, her fists clenching at her sides. 

“How did you do that?” She whispered in between pants. The sickening feeling was starting to subside leaving her a mass of anger, fear, and confusion. 

The man looked bored when he chose to answer, his face showing no sign of any emotion, except contempt. “If you would please remove yourself from the ground I’ll explain while you pack.” 

Kat made no movement to get up, she stayed where she was childishly, her eyes narrowing. She tried to make sense of the letter in her mind. Her thoughts racing together until she couldn't focus on just one subject.She almost laughed bitterly, if she really was a witch how come she was finding out now? She didn’t feel like a witch. Sure weird things had happened to her over the years, but it was easy to explain them with logic. “No.”

That had the male sighing in exasperation, the beginnings of anger pulling his face into a more carnal look. He was slowly losing his temper, it was odd how only annoyance could break through his facade of nothingness. 

“Very well.” He snarled. “Your father was a wizard, he had attended a wizarding school in America since he was a boy, when the same school sent you letters when you came to age he must of been disposing of them. You misses Taylor are a witch, one that is far behind for your age. And if you wish to sit out in the cold all night I will be taking my leave, but if you want more answers I will not ask you again to start moving. It is late, and I wish to retire before the sun comes back up.” 

Her face screwed into an unreadable mask at the mentioning of her father. She had fought to get away from his violent grasp from years. The idea of a chance that she could of been taken away earlier had her wincing. It would be him that would complicate her life. Kat blinked before raising herself up off the ground. 

“My father never did anything magical.” 

“He was punished at school, he wasn’t allowed to practice magic once he was expelled.” He spoke, forcing her to pull her brows together. 

It made sense, her father had been abusive. Maybe that was what pushed him over the edge. Kat believed that people were not born bad, everyone has the potential for good and bad, it's how you constructively deal with the events that happen within your lifetime that will define you. He could of been a good person but he chose to be something else, someone darker, that could lay his hands on his own flesh and blood without thinking twice. She looked at the man in front of her, Severus. She wondered what had happened to him that made him wear his unreadable mask as a permanent disguise.

“Why am I packing?” 

She was earned with an eye roll, and another deep sigh of impatience, She started to lead him to the back door to prevent him from having a stroke. “If you so choose you would be staying with me at the school, I’ll be your tutor for the year, in hopes that you can learn quickly.” 

Kat bit her lip, opening up the sliding door and walking inside to the still empty house. She tried to make sense out of the events that were happening. She still felt as if this was all an elaborate joke, even after the disappearing act he had pulled on her. 

The girl had worked hard to get where she was in life, was she prepared to throw it all away? Yes. The thought was clear and steady. She had felt like an outsider her entire life. If this was a chance for her to fit in somewhere she wasn’t about to give it up now. Inhaling she closed her eyes for a moment. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, and she was prepared to throw herself off of it without looking back.

“Severus.” She breathed out, testing the word on her tongue, she enjoyed how smooth it felt. 

That earned her another dark glare. “Professor Snape.” He corrected. 

Kat snorted in laughter. She may not of been close to his age, but she was an adult. The title sounded odd. She gazed at him a little more closely, he had to be at least thirty-four, which was only thirteen years older than her. “Professor Snape, I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” 

The raven haired man nodded, before he turned to head towards the back of the house. “Gather your things, I will be meeting you tomorrow.” He said his hand on the handle, he turned once more to let his dark stare move over her once more. She stilled underneath his scrutinizing eyes. “I’ll be here at nightfall, make sure no one is around at that time.” With that the tall male left her alone standing in her living room, unsure of everything. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Kat hung up the phone while she laid curled out on her new couch. She had just cancelled her semester at her new school coming up with an excuse that a family member had fallen sick. She stared down in yellow eyes that watched her. Diego was her cat, she had gotten him five years ago when she was still in high school. He had turned out to be her favorite company over the years. He was a grey russian blue, that had intelligent eyes, and an attitude of a loyal dog. The only feline trait he had was his looks. She pet the top of his head earning her a low content pur.  
She ran her opposite hand over her luggage, she was only taking the minimum of her things until she could find a way to bring the rest. The perks about her situation was that she had always traveled light. She was not one to acquire too many belongings. Her past made it so she had no sentimental value for materialistic objects, with the exception of her books. Kat had always been fond of literature. That was her major up until this moment. She had wanted to be an author since she was a little girl, now she wasn’t sure of anything. She tried to swallow the shrill metallic taste of panic that twisted at her insides. She didn’t know what to expect. 

A loud knock rattled the glass of her slider door causing the feline to scurry off her lap, her head snapped up to peer at a man in his mid twenties. She frowned looking past him unable to see her dark haired professor. Hesitantly she got up and approached, sliding open the door to come face to- well shoulder with a ginger haired man. His lips were turned up into a sly smirk, accentuating the freckled that peppered his cheeks. 

“Madame.” He spoke in an over dramatic accent bowing formally. 

The red head wore a suit that could only be described as ridiculous.The material of his blazer looked worn out and was a murky brown. His pants were the same ancient color, and he sported a green tie that had paint splotches of black on the material. A withered flower was tucked into his breast pocket, and weirdly enough he pulled off the look gracefully. 

“I’m your escort for this evening.” 

Kat laughed. “The fun kind, or the tour guide type?”

The wizard chuckled, it was a mischievous sound that matched his entire persona. “Oh we are going to get along.” He paused before extending a hand. “I’m George.” 

“Kat.” She reached out and shook his hands. “Where’s professor Snape?”

George quirked an eyebrow up, his grin growing a little bit wider. “Your betrothed had something come up, so McGonagall asked me to retrieve you, since my shop is close to the castle.”

It was Kat’s turn to arch a brow, picking up on his word choice. Betrothed? She fought the heat that creeped up onto her cheeks, her eyes narrowing. She wondered vaguely if she wanted to know the answer to the question that sat so heavily on the tip of her tongue. The girl tried to picture the lanky professor in any sort of romantic relationship. The only mental image she was met with was his scowling face and pair of soul less eyes. She dismissed the statement, shrugging it off as a poor joke, hoping the whole wizarding school invite wasn’t some elaborate plan to mail order bride her. 

“Can you really picture that guy in a relationship?” Kat asked with another low laugh. 

George made a show of cringing, his face screwing up in mock horror. “I prefer not to think about the greasy git naked.” 

Kat rolled her eyes, her lips lifting into a smile. “For the record I said nothing about sex, you went there all on your own.”

The female looked down at her luggage and back up at the clock. Her roommates were destined to be back soon. She hadn’t told them she was moving out, she just thought the school would inform them, or she would write a note. They wouldn’t be too upset, since they never had an opportunity to get close. She just wasn’t sure how to answer their questions if they asked why she was abruptly moving. Kat barely lied, so when it came to a moment where she had to, she preferred to just avoid the conversation. 

“So, how are we getting to Hogwarts?” Kat asked silently hoping that it wasn’t how Snape brought her to her house. She had eaten pizza a few hours before George’s arrival, and knew there was no way she would be keeping it down. 

The redhead moved to grab her luggage, “The fireplace.” 

“Pardon?”

George laughed, his lanky form was stronger than it seemed. He picked up her two bags and moved them effortlessly into the fireplace. She tilted her head to the side curiously watching him. “It’s called traveling by floo. We will Floo to my shop and then walk to the castle from there. McGonagall hooked your place up to the network.” 

“Castle?” Kat finally asked. She tried to picture a school that looked like a castle, and remained doubtful. If witches and wizards were still being kept a secret from the rest of the world, wouldn’t they want somewhere a little less bold? Kat decided not to ask, once she was settled in where ever she was going then she would ask the list of forming questions. Also she would allow herself to really think. Since her dark haired tutor had came to her she had been on autopilot, not letting herself feel. She would do all of that fun stuff once she was where she belonged. That was Kat’s coping mechanism for a lot of things. She could let herself sink back and let instincts take the driver's seat until the hecticness was over, and then she would let herself resume position once it was safe to do so. 

Her question earned her a toothy smile. His eyes seemed to sparkle in anticipation. “Don’t worry, you’re going to love it.”


End file.
